Greetings, everyone!

Hello, everyone! My name is Frank, and I'm kind of new in town. I am joining this forum for some tips and tricks in writing some decent fiction, and to get to know some fellow writers. I have never actually written anything in the realm of fiction, but it has always been something I've wanted to do, so I figured why not now? I mainly would like to write short stories, probably in the horror/thriller genre.

A little information on me: I'm 24 (I'll be 25 in June), I'm currently a college student studying history (getting my Associate's Degree in May, transferring to a 4 year University next semester), I work a crappy retail job that I absolutely hate, I live in the fair state of New Jersey, I love to read, Edgar Allan Poe is my favorite author of all time, I love movies, and I play piano, bass, and guitar.

So that about sums me up in a nutshell, I look forward to getting to know you all, and gaining some knowledge from some more established writers!

Hi Frank, I’m Emma. Welcome to the forum.
I can't wait to see some of your stories.
I live in England, which I am also in `crappy retail job that I absolutely hate.` but the job I work in is so bored at the moment they only have one person in to watched the shop, so I just write behind the till. (Don't say a word)

Please read How to Use the Writing Workshop before you post there. Posting your own writing for people to comment on should not be among the very first things you do here. It is worth taking the time to see what other people have done to improve their writing, and see if some of it applies to your writing as well. That is part of why we require members to review other members' work before posting their own for review. On the other hand, there are no restrictions, other than content and copyright rules, on showcasing your work in your member blog.

Also, be aware that posting a piece of writing on any public site, including this one, will greatly diminish your chances of selling it for publication. Removing the writing later does not alter that fact - once posted, it is irreversibly considered published. So do not post anything more than a small excerpt of any piece you are planning to submit for publication.

If you haven't explored the site yet, you should probably do so soon. Newcomers often gravitate to the Lounge, the Word Games, or the Writing Workshop, but there is much more to be discovered if you poke in the corners. Remember to check out our FAQ as well, and be sure to read through the forum rules, too, to avoid any misunderstandings or hurt feelings. Respect for one another is our principal mandate.

As for the Writing Workshop, new joiners often wonder why we do things a bit differently on this site than on other writing sites. We emphasize constructive critique as a vital writing skill. Training your eye by reviewing other people's work helps you improve your own writing even before you present it for others to see. Therefore, we ask members to review other people's writing before posting work of their own. We also impose a two-week waiting period before you may post writing for critique, to give you time to become familiar with what is expected and how the site operates. The Writing Workshop forums on this site, therefore, are true workshops, not just a bulletin board for displaying your work (and on that note, please only post each item for review in one Writing Workshop forum). Also, please use the same thread for all revisions and additional excerpts from the same piece of writing. See this post, Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? for more information.

And while you're looking around, don't forget to check out the RPG forum for improvisational fiction. Also try our Weekly Short Story Contest and Weekly Poetry Contest. They actually run more than one week apiece, but any member may enter, and all members are urged to vote for their favorites.

Brave soul. Best Buy? My daughter worked there for a little while. She hated it too.

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Oh man, I worked Best Buy for about a year, hated that job. I actually work at Old Navy now, which is, believe it or not, much worse.

Do they speak English up there?

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They try.

Me too. What are some of your favorites?

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My favorite movie of all time is The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. I love the original Star Wars Trilogy, Romero's Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and Day of the Dead (everything after those SUCKED!), The Thing, and so many others.

Outstanding, son. Sounds like you have a lot of talent.

Look forward to getting to know you, sir.

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Thank you, sir! I also look forward to getting to know you. I'm glad to have stumbled upon such a welcoming community!

What made you choose a history degree, if you don't mind me asking? I flirted with the idea for a couple of semesters (and actually wound up signing up for it as a double major before backing down). I got to the point where I had too many credits in history and political science to have them count towards any general education requirements but not enough to count for a minor. Durp. Oh well. I'm a Literature major, by the way (predictably!)

Anyway, I'm really interested in the subject, obviously. What has been your favorite class / time period / place to study so far? I loved my Civil War & Reconstruction class but I think I have a special place in my heart for Late Antiquity / Early Middle Ages.

What made you choose a history degree, if you don't mind me asking? I flirted with the idea for a couple of semesters (and actually wound up signing up for it as a double major before backing down). I got to the point where I had too many credits in history and political science to have them count towards any general education requirements but not enough to count for a minor. Durp. Oh well. I'm a Literature major, by the way (predictably!)

Anyway, I'm really interested in the subject, obviously. What has been your favorite class / time period / place to study so far? I loved my Civil War & Reconstruction class but I think I have a special place in my heart for Late Antiquity / Early Middle Ages.

Nice to meet you!

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I have always had an interest in history, ever since middle school. I originally went into college majoring in Elementary Education, but because of the current state of the Education profession, I decided to switch to something I was really passionate about. I figured getting a degree in history leaves me a few more options, such as government work, museum curator jobs, and still leaves the door open for teaching.

My overall goal is to get my Ph.D in history focusing on either Medieval history, or Early Modern European. I've always had a fascination with Europe from the late 1700's to the early 1900's. The Napoleonic time period particularly interests me, and has been something I've always loved learning about. I'd like to eventually teach college courses in history, so we'll see how that goes!